Sleep deprivation is a practice that has plagued today’s society, and many of us don’t know the effects it can have on our mental health. Sleep deficiency has a large impact on emotional regulation, mental issues such as depression and anxiety, and feelings of loneliness. Understanding this bi-directional relationship can help people make healthier choices with their sleeping habits and could help with researching topics like this.
Emotional regulation is vital in decreasing the effects of emotional stress on sleep. Studies have shown a link between emotional dysregulation and poor sleep quality, and poor sleep quantity enhances negative emotional reactivity while dampening positive ones. One study looked at the difference between the brains of a sleep-deprived and a control group using fMRI technologies and showed both groups pictures of negative stimuli. Some of the results showed that there was a significantly lower connection between the amygdala (involved in emotional release) and the medial prefrontal cortex (involved in controlling the amygdala’s emotional responses) in the sleep-deprived group; along with a 60% increase in amygdala activation.
Depression is known to have a link with increased inflammation in the body, and lack of sleep increases inflammation within the body. A study with over 4000 youth participants found that sleep deprivation could predict measures of depression. Another study on medical residents over one year found that at the beginning of the internship, residents had increased chronic sleep deprivation and depression. Specifically, the prevalence of chronic sleep deprivation increased from 9% to 43%, and the prevalence of moderate depression went from 4.3% to 55.3%. Showing an association between chronic sleep deprivation and depression.
Anxiety disorders are characterized by unconscious heightened emotional responses, specifically stress responses, i.e. cortisol. Earlier we mentioned decreased emotional regulation after losing sleep along with increased amygdala activation. Since the amygdala primarily releases cortisol, we can conclude that feelings of anxiety will take place after sleep deprivation. A meta-analysis composed of 34 experiments and 18 articles found that sleep deprivation led to significant increases in state anxiety levels. A study with roughly 15,000 participants found that insomnia appeared for 40% of the participants before depression, and appeared at around the same time as anxiety disorders.
Feelings of loneliness and social isolation are exacerbated by sleep deprivation. A study of 18 healthy adults saw the difference in feelings of loneliness between a control group and a sleep-deficient group, the study showed that those with low sleep efficiency felt 30% lonelier, efficient sleepers felt 26% less lonely, sleep-deprived participants felt more lonely after interacting with people and seemed more lonely by independent judges; these judges were also less likely to socialize with the sleep-deprived participants. Researchers were even able to predict how lonely one would feel based on analyzing sleep disturbances at night.
To conclude, the connection between sleep deprivation and mental health goes beyond “Oh, if I sleep a few hours less I’ll be grumpier in the morning.” and can deeply influence our well-being. The importance of getting 7-9 hours of sleep in a timely manner is looked over in today’s modern lifestyles. Efforts to get better sleep should be prioritized to help individuals have healthier habits.